Marilyn Cahatol

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17777832138931777783208154.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice-President Sara Duterte attends the House committee hearing on November 25, 2024, tackling confidential fund expenses of the OVP and the Department of Education during her helm. <em>ABS-CBN News/file</em></span></span></span>MANILA — House members and a lawyer are confident that the consolidated impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte are supported by “strong” evidence to get the necessary vote from the plenary to proceed to the Senate. </div><p>Rep. Gerville Luistro, chair of the Committee on Justice which on Wednesday <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/29/house-finds-probable-cause-duterte-impeachment-now-up-to-plenary-1618">found probable cause </a>to send the two impeachment complaints against Duterte to the plenary, said the panel’s work &quot;reflects a careful, evidence-based process.&quot;</p><p>“We are dealing with official records—hindi opinyon, hindi haka-haka. These are numbers, documents, and sworn testimonies that, taken together, establish a pattern that demands accountability,” Luistro said. </p><p>The panel is set to resume its hearing on Monday to approve the committee report of the concluded four-day clarificatory hearing on the complaints.</p><p>“This is not about politics. This is about the Constitution, about evidence, and about our duty to uphold public accountability. The House will now act as one body on this matter,” Luistro said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PLUNDER?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>For lawyer Lorna Kapunan, the evidence presented in the hearings is strong enough to possibly convict Duterte in a potential plunder case.</p><p>Kapunan highlighted former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV&#x27;s allegations that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/22/duterte-family-received-over-p181-million-from-alleged-drug-lord-trillanes-claims-1653">Duterte and her family received millions of pesos from a drug lord</a>, which matched the Anti-Money Laundering Council&#x27;s (AMLC) report flagging <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/22/amlc-reports-33-suspicious-bank-transactions-under-sara-duterte-husband-1431">P6.7 billion of “suspicious” transactions in Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio’s bank accounts in nearly two decades. </a></p><p>“So, sabi nila na-vindicate, hindi po. Na-vindicate daw si Senator Trillanes. I think the right word is na-confirm,” Kapunan said.</p><p>“Na-confirm ‘yung matagal na niyang sinasabi na totoo,” she added.</p><p>Meanwhile, House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega noted that the P6.7 billion flagged by AMLC may only be a portion of the questionable transactions.</p><p>He explained that banks are required to report only transactions of at least P500,000 in a single day, as well as those deemed suspicious, leaving a wide range of financial activity unmonitored.</p><p>Smaller deposits and transfers that fall outside the mandatory reporting rules may expand the total figure, he said.</p><p>“Kung nagugulat tayo sa P6.7 billion, we should understand this is not the full amount—ito ‘yung nakita lang ng AMLC under its limited scope. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Ortega said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;DEFEND YOUR SISTER&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>House Committee on Public Accounts chair Terry Ridon also challenged Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte to defend his sister before the plenary and prove his allegations that House members were <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/30/paolo-duterte-claims-congressmen-coerced-to-support-sister-s-impeachment-1735">threatened with district defunding </a>to support the vice president’s impeachment. </p><p>“Ang in-expect namin this week ipagtatanggol ho niya ‘yung kapatid niya sa plenary proceedings,” Ridon said on Saturday. </p><p>He urged the representative to raise his claims with evidence and in a proper forum, “instead of being aired publicly without supporting evidence.” </p><p>He also questioned the Davao City lawmaker’s absence from official proceedings, saying the venue for raising such concerns is within the halls of Congress.</p><p>“Pangalawa, hindi rin ho namin siya nakikita sa mga plenary proceedings or committee meetings,” he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>VOTING</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In a unanimous vote, all 53 members of the Justice Committee agreed there was probable cause for Duterte’s impeachment case to proceed. The panel also voted to consolidate the two complaints.</p><p>The House plenary may vote on impeachment complaints in the s<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/30/house-plenary-may-vote-on-sara-duterte-impeachment-in-second-week-of-may-0950">econd week of May</a>, Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua said Thursday.</p><p>The Constitution requires at least one-third or 106 out of the 318 House members to vote for the articles of impeachment to be transmitted to the Senate, which will convene an impeachment court.</p><p>Meanwhile, Senate leaders assured that the upper chamber will promptly convene an impeachment court should it receive the articles of impeachment. </p><p>They also said the impeachment trial <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/30/senate-may-hold-vp-sara-impeachment-trial-during-break-1243">may continue even after the Senate goes on a break on June 5. </a></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/29/supreme-court-says-forthwith-in-impeachment-cases-means-within-reasonable-time-1655">Supreme Court says ‘forthwith’ in impeachment cases means ‘within reasonable time’</a></div><p>The complaints are grounded on various accusations against Duterte, including her alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth and a supposed assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte has repeatedly denied the allegations.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SZRMP2QAwlE?si=BJHr6COS28IFGd5E" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Rep. Gerville Luistro, chair of the House Committee on Justice, said the panel’s work "reflects a careful, evidence-based process."</p>

Rep. Gerville Luistro, chair of the House Committee on Justice, said the panel’s work "reflects a careful, evidence-based process."

House members confident VP Duterte impeachment case ‘strong’ to proceed

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House members confident VP Duterte impeachment case ‘strong’ to proceed

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 03, 2026 02:54 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

impeachment

House of Representatives

Committee on Justice

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